Pain-free with heat – how to relieve pain in your dog

Heat is a wonderful way to relieve pain in your dog Relieve pain dog

There are many ways to do something good for your dog with heat therapy. You can use it alone but also, for example, accompanying massage. You can also use heat applications as a preparation for active exercises, after sports, before or after a walk. There are many different types of heat therapy that you can choose from depending on what your dog likes best. Some dogs love the red light, while other dogs are very comfortable with the warmth of a grain pillow.

When do you use heat therapy?

It is good for your dog if you want to release muscle tension and relieve pain. It helps with musculoskeletal conditions that are not acutely inflammatory, such as spondylosis or osteoarthritis outside of an acute episode. You can also help your dog with chronic rheumatic and chronic inflammatory diseases with heat. If you have an older dog, it will help him become more agile.

When is it off limits with your dog?

You should not use heat on your dog for acute inflammation, fever and infectious diseases. Heat is also taboo for edema, hematomas and bleeding. In addition, you should refrain from heat therapy if your dog suffers from heart failure, tumors and also pregnancy, as it can promote labor.

What happens during the treatment?

The heat goes about 1-2 cm deep, depending on the application. If you look at the front leg of the dog here, for example, this is already quite deep. It has various effects. Blood circulation is stimulated because the heat causes the vessels to dilate and the blood to flow faster. The positive effect is that inflammatory substances are removed and the oxygen supply is increased (thus increasing the metabolism in the tissue). Thus, in chronic inflammatory diseases, it leads to inhibition of inflammation, since the heat removes the inflammatory substances. At the same time, the muscles relax and pain is relieved. Joint mobility is increased because the heat makes the joint fluid less viscous, and connective tissue structures such as ligaments and tendons become more elastic. The stiffness of the joints becomes less and your dog becomes more mobile and agile.

Before the start

You should both have a comfortable pad. Sit relaxed and comfortable, your dog should lie relaxed on his side in the best case. You should get an idea of how your dog is doing before using it. Gently feel the muscles and find out where there is tension and hardening. Always proceed here on both sides to perceive differences in the body halves and runs. Relieve pain dog

Introduce forms of heat therapy that you can easily implement:

Forms of heat therapy include red light, hot packs, various core and grain pillows, hot water bottle, hot roll, and steam bath, e.g., for bronchial infections.

Red light:

Red light is very good to treat larger areas. The red light lamp should be about 30-40 cm away from the dog. It is optimal if the infrared rays hit your dog at a 90 degree angle. Since the heat can be very intense, you should adjust the duration and intensity individually. Your dog can stay under the red light for 15-30 minutes depending on how he likes it.

Hot Packs

They are very easy to handle and are suitable for local application. You heat them in the microwave or in a water bath. They hold the temperature for about 1 hour. After you have heated the hot pack, it is best to wrap it in a towel so that the heat is not too intense and place it on the area you want to treat. The Hot Pack cools over time and can be left on your dog for 15-30 minutes.

Grain/core pillow:

Grain or cherry pit pillows are also very good for local treatment. You can heat them in the oven or microwave and then apply them to the area you want to treat for about 15-30 minutes. By the way, grain pillows provide relief not only for diseases of the musculoskeletal system, but also, for example, for abdominal pain.

How often can you treat your dog with heat?

You can treat your dog with heat daily if needed, even several times.

This is important!

Never leave your dog alone during heat therapy to protect him from overheating and overreaction. You should also definitely not attach a hot pack, cherry pit pillow, or hot water bottle to yours. He must be able to avoid the heat and stop the treatment at any time.

PS: The application of the hot roll I will introduce you in another post, because it is a little more elaborate.

Would you like to learn more about pain in dogs and how to reliably recognize signs of pain? Then sign up for my free mini course “Recognizing signs of pain in dogs – incl. Checklist” on!